2015 League Cup Semi Final played on Monday 2nd May 2016 at Theydon Bois CC
This was about the 5th time this fixture had been re-arranged and finally took place on the bank holiday just gone. Matching won the toss and inserted Nazeing on a decent looking wicket .
Jason Green and Matty taylor opened the bowling and kept it very tight . As did all the Matching bowlers . Nazeing found it hard to score or gain any momentum and in truth if Matching had held their chances Nazeing would have been all out for about 80 . As it was they limped to 103-5 , with Green 2-15 , Dawson 1-23, Bass 1-18 and Hartnell 1-34 the wicket takers , that said Taylor bowled his 4 overs for just 10 and kept the pressure on Nazeing. Blair 28 an McKie 35 not out were the best batters for Nazeing but the score did not seem anything like enough.
Matching started very slowly with Bowerman and Sibley with Sibley caught behind early on for just 2. The young Josh Stevens bowled really well and went for just 4 runs off his 4 overs .
Matching were keen to make it difficult for themselves and were 42 for 3 off 12 at one stage . Nazeing continued to bowl tightly and field well and Matching were under pressure but Jack Scantlebury and Simon Hartnell rode the storm well and left themselves 14 to win off the last over .
Hartnell hit the first ball for 6 then a single and then Scantlebury hit a 6 himself . Hartnell then hit the last ball for 4 and Matching had won , a game in truth they should have had in the bag much earlier on but a win is a win . Hartnell ended on 39 not out and Scantlebury made 28 . Peter Barker being the pick of the Nazeing bowlers with 2-15 off his 4 overs .
Matching go on to play Stansted in the final date to be arranged which promises to be a very good contest and a rematch of the previous season that Stansted won by 1 run !.